The Pacific

Starring: James Badge Dale (10 episodes), Joseph Mazzello (10 episodes), Jon Seda (10 episodes), Sebastian Bertoli (10 episodes), Chris Milligan (10 episodes), Ashton Holmes (7 episodes), Josh Helman (6 episodes), Rami Malek (6 episodes), Martin McCann (6 episodes), Keith Nobbs (6 episodes), Toby Leonard Moore (6 episodes), David Ludlow (6 episodes), Jacob Pitts (5 episodes), Dylan Watson (5 episodes), William Sadler (4 episodes), Jon Bernthal (2 episodes), Matt Craven (1 episode), Anna Torv (1 episode), Isabel Lucas (1 episode)
Directed by: Jeremy Podeswa (3 episodes), Timothy Van Patten (3 episodes), David Nutter (2 episodes), Carl Franklin (1 episode), Tony To (1 episode), Graham Yost (1 episode)
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, War
2010

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Americans fight the Japanese in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Review:
Tim: After loving "Band of Brothers", I have to admit I was a little skeptical going into "The Pacific". My first concern was that there was no way they could recreate the same level of emotional impact. This would have to feel hollow in comparison. The second issue was that we'd already seen the gritty impact of war on soldiers during World War II. Would changing the location from the European theater to the Pacific theater really make much of a difference? After sitting down with those concerns, I have to admit I was totally and completely blown away by "The Pacific". This was more than a worthy successor to "Band of Brothers", it was every bit as good.

I have to say that a huge reason why I liked this miniseries was Joseph Mazzello. This kid just continually breaks my heart. He made me literally cry in Radio Flyer and The Cure. I loved him as Tim (great name!) in Jurassic Park. It's hard for me to explain, but I just feel this deep emotional connection with the characters he plays. I want them to live, to be happy. That translated into this miniseries. Whenever you watch something like this, you know a number of characters are going to die. Not knowing much about the story before sitting down, I quickly became unbelievably nervous about his well-being. I've seen Mazzello die in movies before, and I just did not want to sit through it again. That is what elevated this miniseries for me. It helps that Mazzello delivers an absolutely brilliant performance. He's one of the most under-the-radar, underrated actors I've ever seen. He was incredible in this series, and he's the single biggest reason why I love it so much.

Mazzello does have help- James Badge Dale did a terrific job as well. Really, the whole cast worked so exceptionally well together. There weren't a ton of big names, but they all gave emotional, memorable performances. I really enjoyed the cast.

Like "Band of Brothers", the production values here felt top notch. It felt like an almost 9 hour movie. HBO deserves great credit for bringing this story to such vivid life. The Pacific theater was fundamentally different than the European one. Our boys fought a very different war and it was incredible to see that depicted here. As an American whose grandfather fought in the Pacific during WWII, this miniseries hit especially home for me. Despite the best efforts I could muster, I will never be able to understand what it was like fighting the Japanese over there. This film gives me the tiniest glimpse into the world, and I was truly thankful for it.

I admit feeling skepticism going into both "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific", albeit of different varieties. In both cases, the exceptional work that went into this miniseries laid all my fears to rest. I loved both miniseries. I would hate to be asked which one I liked more. I tend to favor the originators, but "The Pacific" was so damn incredible, I would have a very, very hard time deciding.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: Band of Brothers